The City of Astoria got a snapshot on pedestrian safety Wednesday when the police conducted what they call a 'Focused Enforcement" action stopping drivers who failed to follow the rules at three different intersections through town. Officers watched intersections where they have gotten complaints from the public in the past as vehicles failed to yield to pedestrians and made 34 traffic stops in a three hour period as a result.

The department picked afternoon hours between 4PM and 7PM to perform the grant funded enforcement because a study of previous crashes indicated this as the time during the day that most accidents seem to occur.

Officers issued 18 citations and 11 warnings for Failure to Stop and Remain Stopped For A Pedestrian. A total of three citations and two warnings were issued for Passing A Stopped Vehicle At A Crosswalk. They also caught people Driving Uninsured and Using a Cell Phone While Driving.

The locations that officers focused on were 15th and Commercial, 15th and Marine and 6th and Marine. A department news release states: "It is the hope of the Astoria Police Department that by having these focused enforcements that we will raise the awareness of both drivers and pedestrians when it comes to this issue."